Message-register



W. H. D. FORD.

MESSAGE REGISTER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 4. 1918.

1,322,557., Patented Nov. 1919.

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i i i I a I I a STATES Parana orrion.

WILLIAM H. D. FORD, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MESSAGE-REGISTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 25, 1919.

Application filed January 4, 1918. Serial No. 210,261.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. D. FORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Yonkers, in the county of Westchester, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in .Message-Registers, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to registering apparatus for use in telephone systems and more particularly to an improved message register for operation in such systems.

In'telephone service where the number of calls originating at a subscribers statlon 1s made the basis of the cost of service 1t is of the utmost importance that the register ng apparatus not only be accurate 1n operation under normal conditions but also it is so designed as to obviate possibility of false operation when sub ec d to abnormal conditions. Moreover, the design of the message register should be such as not to Senously affect the operation of other apparatus associated with it.

It is therefore the object of the present nvention to provide a message register which is accurate and positive in operation and one which is not amenable to false operation. A further ob ect is to provide a message register so designed as to permit more satisfactory operation of the cut-off relay associated with it on the subscribers line than has been possible with theapparatus used heretofore. A still further object is to provide a message register of the improved type which is interchangeable with the present type and therefore can be used to replace former types without involving any changes in circuit wiring.

To attain these objects, a feature of this invention consists in providing a type of arby the armature in its travel is utilized to change the relation of these windings in the circuit.

The various features may be more clearly understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure l is a sectional view of a message leg ister taken along the line 1-1 of Fig. :2 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrow; Fig. 2 is a top view of the operating end of the same; Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the line 33 of Fig. 1, showing more in detail the type of armature employed; Fig. 4 is a sectional view along the line H of Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a diagram of connections showing a preferred manner of'connecting this message register in circuit.

Referring now to Figs. 1 to 4, the operating coil 6 is wound about a core 7 promagnetic lines of force. A spa-cerod 12 is ,rovided to insure the desired separation etween the ends of pole-piece 8 and thereby determine the air gaps between the ends of the pole-piece 8 and armature side pieces 1010.

Securely fastened at one corner of the armature by means of the screw 13, is a flat steel spring 14 having fastened to its lower end a disk 15 of soft iron. This disk, the thickness of which is slightly greater than the thickness of the armature portion 9, extends through a hole 16 in the armature and is in alinementwith the core 7. Also carried by the armature is a pawl 17 adapted tomngage the ratchet 18 of a counting train similar to that disclosed in Patent No. 7 65,255 to C. E. Scribner and F. R. McBerty. This counting train is mounted on a framework19 secured to the projecting ends of the pole-piece 8 and is-arranged to be advanced one step each time the armature is drawn up. A retaining pawl 20 is provided to prevent operation of the counting train in the reverse direction.

Mounted upon the upper portion of the armature and in direct electrical contact therewith, is the contact point 21, which.

further movement of the armature. Contact springs 22 and 23 are fastened to the metal spool-head 24 by means of screws 2525, but are insulated therefrom by means of bushings and washers 27-27 of hard rubber or a similar material. The spool-head 24 is also provided with an insulating button 28 to prevent spring 23 from coming into con tact with the metal spool-head, and insulating bushings 2929 are also provided through which the connections are made with the windings. The contact point 21 is preferably mounted upon the end of a screw 30 threaded into the armature portion 9 and, after adjustment, locked in position by means of the lock nut 35. An eye 36 is formed on the end of screw 30 into which is hooked one end of the helical retractile spring 37, the other end of this spring being secured to a hook 38 carried by the frame piece 19.. A guard spring 32 is prov1ded for the purpose of protecting the llght contact springs from mechanical in]ury.

The operation of the message register em bodying this invention may be more clearly understood by referring to Fig. 5 111 which subscribers lines A and B terminating at a ventral office are connected thereat by means of a link circuit C. For the sake of simplicity, certain apparatus not necessary for the comprehension ofthe present invention, is not shown in the drawing.

Let it be assumed that subscribers line A has been connected as desired with subscribers line B, in which case the cut-off relay 39 will have been energized, opening the contacts 4040 and disconnecting the line relay 41 from the circuit. The operator at the central oflice, in order to then register the call, operates key 42, allowing current to -flow from the grounded source of energy 43, through position register 31, key 42, sleeve contact of plug 44, sleeve contact of jack 45 and thence to ground through windings 46 and 47 of the message register. The voltage of the source of energy 43 is such as to allow a current flow through windings 46 and 47 of sufficient strength to cause the attraction of armature 9, thereby permitting the contact of armature 9 to engage contact spring 22, in which case the winding 47 is shortcircuited. The adjustment of the device is such that as the contactof armature 9 engages contact springing 47, which -is 0f comparatively high re-' sistance, results 1n a very great increase inthe flux generated and the thin steel spring 14 (shown imFig. 1) is of such small crosssection that it'does not prevent armature 9 from continuing in its movement toward core 7 ,until spring contact 22 engages spring contact 23 and forces it against the insulatingbutton 28. In this condition, winding 46 is shunted by the winding 48 and the steel spring 14 is flexed an amount corresponding to the travel of the armature following the engagement, of contact 22. As armature 9 is attracted against the tension of helical spring 37, the pawl 17 engages ratchet 18 and advances the counting mechanism one step. The winding 48 is of low resistance and therefore its connection in parallel with winding 46 allows sufficient current to flow through the circuit to cause the operation of position register 31 at the central ofiice.

In order to preclude any possibility of the counting mechanism being advanced more than one step on a single call the operating pawl 17 is not" allowed to fall back and engage another tooth of ratchet 18 so long as the connection is up. Therefore, upon opening the circuit at key 42, the armature 9 falls back only an amount sufficient to allow the separation of contact'springs 22 and 23, thereby opening the low resistance path through the winding 48 and it is prevented from returning to its unoperated position by current flowing from the grounded source of energy 49 through armature 50 of supervisory relay 51, resistance 52, resistance 53, sleeve contact of plug 44, sleeve contact of jack 45, winding 46, contact spring 22, and armature 9 to ground. However, in case the subscriber has replaced his receiver upon the switchhook, thereby denergizing the supervisory relay 51, the armature of the message register is held in its intermediate position so long as plug 44 remains in jack 45 by means of current flowing from the grounded source of energy through lamp 54, instead of from the grounded source of energy 49, through armature 50 and resistance 52. i

The construction of the armature of this message register permits the use of windings of much greater resistance than is possible with the type of message register used heretofore in a similar circuit and therefore results in a decided improvement in the operation of the cut-off relay 39, the winding of which is connected in parallel with the active winding of the message register. These higher resistance windings permit adjustment of the cut-off relay to much wider operating margins than has been possible heretofore and with increased contact pressures.

With the improved message register embodying this invention the holding winding 46 can be made of comparatively high resistance and the armature of cut-ofi' relay 39. although temporarily denergized at the time of break of the contacts at key 42, is

immediately attracted again and therefore does not interfere with the service. Also as a result of the high resistance of the holding winding of the'improved message register, it is possible to make a greater number of busy tests simultaneously without causing the deenergization of the cut-off relay. This test which is made by the operator connecting the tip of her plug tothe sleeve contact of the jack of the line being tested, places the comparatively low resistance of winding 56 of the repeating coil in shunt with the winding of the cut-off relay and the holding winding of the message register. Moreover, in case the cut-off relay is deenergized, the high resistance winding of the proposed message register permits its being operated again instantly upon the busy tests being completed.

Still another advantage of this message register is that it eliminates any possible trouble which might occur in case the switchboard plugs in service become worn to such an extent that the ring contact of the plug may come in contact with the sleeve of the jack as the plug is inserted. Should thisoccur, a circuit would be rovided from grounded source of energy 5 through repeating coil winding 58, supervisory relay 51, ring of plug 44, sleeve of jack 45, and windings 46 and 47 to ground. Under such a condition it is imperative that the message register should not operate, and yet it must be adjusted to operate on the minimum voltage obtained from'the source of energy 43. The difference between these operating and non-operating requirements is therefore very small and these requirements are much easier, met with the improved message register since the design permits working the iron at a lower point on the magnetization curve where the slope of the curve gives much more efficient operation.

What is claimed is:

1. In a message register, a magnet core, an armature therefor, a counting train operated by said armature in its movement, a magnetizing winding for said core, means for increasing the ampere turns of said winding upon the movement of said armature, and additional means for connecting a low resistance shunt about the magnetizing winding upon further movement of said armature.

' 2. In a message register, a magnet core, an armature therefor, a counting train operated by said armature in its movement, a. magnetizing winding of high resistance for said core, means for reducing the resistance of said winding upon the movement of said armature, and additional means for connecting a low resistance shunt about the high resistance winding upon further movement of'said armature.

3. In a message register, a magnet core, an

armature therefor having an initial and a subsequent movement, a counting train operated by said.armature in its movement, a magnetizing winding of high resistance for said magnet core, means for shunting the airgap between said core and said armature upon the completion of said initial movement, means set in operation upon the completion of the initial movement of said armature to cause its subsequent movement, and additional means for connecting a low resistance shunt about the high resistance winding upon the subsequent movement of said armature. v

4. In a message register, an electromagnet, an armature therefor, a counting train operated on the attraction of said armature, and means operable at an intermediate position of said armature for increasing the magnetic flux in said electromagnet to cause further attraction of said armature.

5. In a message register, a magnet core, an armature therefor, a counting train operated on the attraction of said armature, means for providing a magnetic path between said armature and said core at an intermediate position of said armature, and means for increasing the flux in said magnet core at said intermediate position to cause further attraction of said armature.

6. In a message register, a magnet core, an armature therefor, a counting train operated upon the attraction of said armature, means for providing a magnetic path between said armature and said core at an intermediate position of said armature, and a switching member engaged by the -armature at said intermediate position, said switching member operating to increase the flux in said core thereby causing further attraction of said armature.

7. In a message register, an electromagnet, an armature for said electromagnet, a count ng train operated upon the attraction of said armature, a spring member secured at one end to said armature'and provided at the other end with a magnetic portion extending through an opening in said'armature and adapted to engage the core of said electromagnet at an intermediate position of said armature, and means for increasing the flux of the electromagnet at said intermediate position to caus further attraction of said armature.

8. In a message re ister, an electromagnet having a plurality o windings, an armature therefor, a counting train, means for imparting to said armature an initial movement to advance said counting train one step, and means for imparting to said armature a subsequent movement to connect a plurality of said windings in parallel.

9. In a message register, an electromagnet having a plurality of windings, one of said windings being of high resistance as compared with another of said windings, an armature for said electromagnet, said armature having an initial and a subsequent movement, a counting train, means operated by the initial movement of said armature to reduce the resistance of said high resistance winding, additional ,means operated by the initial movement of said armature to advance said counting train one step, and means operated by the subsequent movement of said armature to connect said low resistance Winding in circuit.

10. In a message register, an electromagnet having a plurality of windings, an. armature therefor having an initial and a subsequent movement, a switching member operated upon the initial movement of said armature to decrease the resistance of one of said windings. a shunting member secured to said armature operable upon the initial movement of the armature to provide a magnetic path between said armature and the core of said electromagnet, and a second switching member operable upon the subsequent movement of said armature to provide a low resistance path in shunt with the operating winding of said electromagnet.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my7name this 29th day of December, A. D., 191

l VILLIAM H. D. FORD. 

